Roller-bearing.



No. 673,600. Patented May 7, I90l. A. FEATHERSTONHAUGH. ROLLER BEARING.

A pumm filed on. 22, 1900. y (lo llodel.) 2 Sheik-Shoal l.

n45 mums PETERS cc, PHOTO-LITHO..'WASHINGTON, n. a

No. 673,600. Patented May 7, l90l.

A. FEATHEBSTONHAUGH.

ROLLER BEARING.

(Applicati on and on. 22, 1900 (No Model.) 2 Shasta-Shut 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

ARTHUR FEATIIERSTONHAUGH, OF LAKESIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOLMES I-IOGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

ROLLER-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,600, dated Mayl', 1901. Application filed October 22, 1900- Serial No. 33,874- (No model.)

simple, durable, and light-running journalbearing wherein special means are provided for radially and accurately adjusting the parts to compensate for wear, the construction being such that that compensating adjustment referred to is necessarily uniform throughout .the circumference of the journal and throughout the length of the several roller elements thereof.

To this end the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be readily understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is an axial sectional view of a vehicle hub and journal embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, with the adjusting and locking rings removed, looking at the outer end of the journal; and Fig. 3 is a plan or face view of the adjustingring.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates as a whole any suitable journal or axle, and 2 the wheel-hub mounted thereon. In the present instance the journal is shown as comprising two sets of cylindric rollers arranged in the opposite ends of the hub; but it is to be understood that a single set may equally embody the invention, the two sets shown in the present instance being substantially duplications of each other. For convenience of description but one end of the hub will be described in detail, it being understood that the opposite end is substantially similar, differing only in those details necessary to adapt it to the corresponding portion of the axle.

Within the outer shell 3 of the hub is seated a fixed bearing-ring 4," provided in its inner face with a series of circumferential grooves 5, parti-circular in cross-section and extending parallel with the axis of the journal. Within said bearing-ring 4 is arranged a series of segmental adjusting-blocks 6, each provided in its outer surface with grooves '7, parti-circular in cross-section and corresponding to the grooves 5 of the bearing-ring and forming in conjunction with the latter a series of elliptical spaces 8, within each of which is arranged an adjusting-roller 9 of a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the elliptical space within which it is seated when the adjusting-block is in the position indicated in the drawings or adjusted radially outward to its extreme limit. Around the journal 1 is arranged a circumferential series of cylindric rollers 10, and between the rollers 10 and the adj usting-blocks 6 is interposed a series of divided bearing-rings l1. Prefersuch rings are convex upon their inner faces, which bear upon the roller elements, and cylindric at their outer faces,which rest in contact with the'adjusting-blocks 6, so as to afford a point or line bearing, as distinguished from an extended surface-bearing, thereby minimizing the rolling friction of the journal. The proximate ends 12 and 12 of each ring are separated sufficiently to allow the ring to be contracted enough to compensate for any reduction in the circumferential size of the set of rollers due to wear, and in order that the rollers may not drop into the spaces between the interrupted ends of the rings a plurality of such rings are provided and arranged in such relation to each other Within the journal that the interrupted portion of one ring will be overlapped by the uninterrupted .portion of adjacent and other rings.

It'will be obvious from the foregoing description that if the adjusting-blocks 6 be moved circumferentially while the fixed bearing-ring 4: remains immovable the adjustingrollers 9 will be caused to act upon the adj usting-blocks to force the latter radially inward to an extent proportional to the extent to which the projections 7 formed by the inclined sides of the grooves 7, are carried beneath the adj usting-rollers, and the adjusting-blocks thus moving inwardly will in turn ably and as shown in the present instance I compress the bearing-rings 11, and thus contract the'dia'meter of the journal-box within which the main rollers 10 are located. In order to thus actuate and adjust the adjusting-blocks, each of said segments is provided at its outer end with a stud or projection 13, which projects within a radial slot 15, formed in an adjusting-ring 14, rotatably mounted upon the end of the journal adjacent to the set of rollers and provided with a radial flange portion 16, within which said slots 15 are formed. The adjusting-ring 14 is confined in position by means of an outer hub-ring 17, the inner portion of which overlaps the flanged portion of the adj listing-ring, as indicated clearly in the drawings, and in order to lock the adj listing-ring in any desired poj sition of angular adjustment it is extended, outwardly beyond the confining-ring l7 and threaded, indicated at 18, to receive a; lock-nut 19. ThQ'GDd face of the adjusting-5 ring 14 is suitably constructed for engage-E ment with a spanner, being in the pr'e'senti instance provided with spanner-recesses 20,; whereby it may be turned, and the lock-nut; 1 9 is likewise provided with similar span-,

her-recesses 21. The end of the journal is.

provided with the usual 'retainingnut 22,; whereby the hub as a whole is secured upon; the axle'or journal. The'constr'uction-of thel opposite endof the hub is substantially similar and need not, therefore, be repeated. In the'particular instance illustrated that part5 of the journal upon which the rollers actisl provided with a plurality of closely-fitting bearing-rings 23, arranged side by side and{ having convex surfaces, as i'ndicated'cleafrl'y in the drawings, these rings beingprovided for the purpose of affording a line or pointv bearing instead'of an=eXtendedsurface-bearing. Said rings'alre arranged to fit the axle closely enough to beretained in position frici tio'nally. It'will be obvious that these rings may be dispensed "with and the rollers arranged to bear directly upon the journal, if preferred. 7 i

The adjustment andoperat'io'n of the jo'urn'al will b'eentirel'yobvious from the foregoin g descriptionand*need not,therefore,beset forth at length. It may be noted, however, that'as the bearings become worn by use, so as to 'aiford more or less looseness between the roller elements'a'nd the journal, the journa'l-box may be in effect closed up or made smaller by simply adjusting the bearingblocks circumferentially in one direction or the other, so that the adjusting-rollers interposed between the opposing grooves will act ca'm fashion to'force the said adj usting-blocks radially'inward, and thus compress and contract the split bearing-rings 11 upon which they act. Obviously s 'uc'h adj ustm'ent willbe uniform'throughout the entire circumference of'the j ournal'and throughout the entire axial length of the set of'rollerelements.

While I prefer to employ the particular construction shown, yet it will be obvious that this construction consists, essentially, of adj usting-blocks acted upon by cam-surfaces, which serve to force them radially inward when moved relatively to said cam-surface in a circumferential direction, and the principle of the invention may obviously be embodied in different constructions from that shown herein. I do not therefore wish to be limited to the details of construction shown, except as they may be made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention 1. Ajournal-bearing comprisinga journal, a bearing-ring surrounding said journal, a series of roller eleme'ntsinterposed between the journal and bearing-ring and means for adj nsting the size-of the journal-box 'conrprising a series of segments provided with camsu'rfaces-a'n'd relatively-fixed "cam projections acting upon said segments to forcethe latter 'radially inwardwhe'nthe segmentsaremoved circumferentially,substantiallyasdescribed.

2. In a roller-bearingfthe combination of a journahaseriesof roller elements surrounding said journal, a pl-u'rality'of diyid'ed rings surrounding said set of roller'el'e'mentsand said divided rings, coniprisin'ga series of segments, provided with surfaces, co'rres'p'ondingcam projections-carried by a relatively-fixed partof'the journal and operating to force'said segments radian 'inward a'sthe y are moved circumferentianyand means for moving said segments circiimferentiallyand locking them in adjusted position, strbstantiaily'as described.

3. In a journal-bearing, the combination of a j ournahaseriesof ironer element's surrounding said journal, a plurality'ofdivided-b'eari'ng-rings inclosi-n'g 'said'roller elements and means for'varyi'ng the internal -'r'lia'meter of said divided rings, comprisin a pluralityof circumferentially disposed segments, each pro-vided'in'its periphery Withdongitudzinallyextending recessesand forming cam-surfaces, an annular member inclos'ing said segments and 'providedwith cam projectionsexte'nding toward said segments, aser'iesof roller elemerits interposed between'saidannular memher and said segments, means for simultaneously moving said segments eirc'umfeien '-tially of the jo'u-rnalahd means "for locking provided in its outer surface with a series of longitudinally-"extending parti-circular 'grooves,-a fix'ed ring or housing inclosingsa'id segments, provided in its innenfa'ce'with corresponding parti circula'rgrooves, a series of roller 'elements interposed between saidsegments and said housing-ring, an adjustingring mounted upon the end of the journal adjacent to the ends of said adjusting-segments, interconnecting devices between said adj usting-ring and said segments whereby the lat ter may be moved positively circumferentially of the journal while free to move radially and a lock nut adapted to lock said adjusting-ring in fixed angular relation to the journal-box, substantially as described.

5. In a journal-bearing of the character described, herein, the combination of the hubshell 3 provided in each end with a cylindric bearing-recess, the fixed rings 4 seated within said cylindric recesses, the adjusting segments 6 having the grooves 5 and interven ing projections, a series of interposed rollers 9, the series of divided bearing-rings 11 having convex internal faces, the journal and the series of cylindric elements interposed between the divided bearing-rim gs and journal, the adjusting-ring 14 having the radial slots 15 engaged with the projections 13 of the adj usting-blocks, the confining-ring 17, the locking-ring 19 and the confining-nut 22 combined and operating, substantially as described.

ARTHUR FEATHERSTONHAUGH. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, FREDERICK C. GooDWIN. 

